Cooling and dispensing apparatus



Oct. 6, 1936. MOHN 2,056,800

COOLING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l 22a 22a INVENTOI-Q ATTO RN EYS Oct. 6, 1936. J. MOHN 2,056,800

I COOLING AND DISPENSING APPARATUS Filed May 14, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 :4 INVENTOR 1 Q Jo/m MM ATTO RN E75 Patented Oct. 6, 1936 MUN-ITED STATES PATENT OFFICE John Mohn, Detroit, Mich.

Application May 14, 1934, Serial No. 725,534

'7 Claims.

The present invention pertains to a novel cooling and dispensing apparatus for liquids, particularly for beverages, and more particularly for beer and the like.

In dispensing beer and similar draught beverages it is important, in order that the taste should be preserved, that the beverage should be dispensed at a uniform temperature, or at approximately a uniform temperature. In other words the range of variation in temperature should be confined within small limits. Ordinarily a uniform temperature of the dispensed beverage cannot be maintained because of the fact that fast running beverages pass through the cooler. so quickly that they are not sufliciently cooled, and slow running beverages remain in the cooler for a prolonged period of time which results in their becoming chilled. This latter condition arises where a dealer's regular sales amount to about twenty glasses an hour and whose rush periods require dispensing of three to four hundred glasses an hour. With this condition in mind it is the primary object of the present invention to provide a cooler and dispenser which is capable of dispensing both fast and slow running beverage at an approximately uniform temperature.

-Another object of the present invention is to provide a beverage cooling and dispensing apparatus having a cooling unit suitable for handling ordinary sales, and an auxiliary cooler adapted to be cut-in when desired to increase the cooling capacity of the apparatus, such as is desirableduring rush hours. The capacity of the apparatus may be adjusted by manually controlling the auxiliary cooler and the beverage may therefore be dispensed at a uniform temperature, whether fast or slow running.

With the above and other ends in view the invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical cross section;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross section;

Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3--3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary cross section illustrating a modified valve arrangement, and

Fig. 5 is a plan view illustrating the arrangement of the handles on the valves.

Like characters of reference are employed throughout to designate corresponding parts.

The numeral l designates a cylindrical casing, preferably formed of sheet metal, and having inner and outer walls 2 and 3 respectively between which is provided a heat insulating lining 4, formed of such material as cork. The open upper end of the cylinder l is provided with a cover 5 having a display board 6 secured thereto by a bolt 1, the board 6 being provided for advertising purposes.

Received within the casing l is a tank 8, which .may be formed of glass or of a metalthat does not spoil the taste of beer or any other particular beverage. The tank 8 is provided with a cover plate 9, preferably formed of heavy metal, with a groove I0 in its lower face supporting a rubber gasket II that is engaged by a rolled flange l2 on the upper end of the tank. Bolts I3 are secured in blocks I4 and extend upwardly through the cover 9 and receive nuts 15 on the upper ends thereof. A rubber pad I6 is interposed between the blocks l4 and the bottom of the tank 8 so that the nuts 15 may be tightened on the bolts [3 so that the cover 9 may be-drawn downwardly without damaging the bottom of the tank 8. When the cover 9 is drawn downwardly by thebolts and nuts the rolled. flange l2 of the tank is imbedded in the rubber gasket I I- to close and seal the otherwise open end of the tank.

Surrounding the tank 8 is a block tin coil l1 havingan inlet end [8 and an outlet end l9. The outlet end I 9 is connected as at 20 to the cover plate 9 to provide communication between the coil I1 and the tank 8. The inlet end N3 of the coil is connected to a passage 2| in a valve body 22 that is mounted in the'casing I. The

valve body 22 has another passage 23 that is c'onnected by a pipe 24 to an opening in the cover 9. The valve body 22 has a vertically extending tapered bore 21 in which is received a rotatable valve plug 28 having a stem 29 with a handle 30 secured thereto to provide means for manually rotating the same. Communicating with the bore 21 through a passage 3| I is a pipe line 32 and. it will be understood that the lower end which is broken away is to be connected to a means for supplying beverages under pressure.

The valve plug 28 is provided with a recess 33 that constantly communicates with the passage 3| and which is adapted to communicate with either passage 22 or 23 separately. Thus by rotating the valve body 28 communication may be established between the supply pipe 32 and the pipe 24 or between the supply pipe 32 and the inlet end l8 of the coil l1.

' Connected to a fitting 34 in'the cover 9 is a pipe 35 having its opposite end connected to a valve body and communicating with a passage 31 therein. The valve body 36 has a discharge port 31' communicating with the passage 31 through a transverse passage 38. A valve plug 39 is mounted in the valve body and is operated manually by a handle 40 to open or close the transverse passage 38. In the lower end of the fitting 34 is mounted a tube 4| whose lower open end is in close proximity to the bottom of the tank 8. 7

An airfvent' pipe 42 has one end connected to an opening in the cover 9 and its other end extending through the casing I and provided with a control valve 43.

Mounted on the outside of the casing I is a trough-like drain board 44 having a discharge opening 45 adapted to be connected to a' waste receptacle. A drain tube 46 extends vertically in the casing l and has its lower end opening into the trough 44 as at 41. 7 In operation it will be understood that the casing is filled or partially filled with ice and that the supply pipe 32 is connected to means for supplying beverage under pressure. In order to permit the discharge of air from the tank I the valve 43 is opened and the valve plug 28 is rotated so that communication is established between the pipe 32 and the pipe 24. At this stage the beverage flows into the tank 8 and forces the air out through the pipe 42. When the tank 8 is filled the valve 43 is closed and the beverage may then be drawn from the tank 8 through the tube 4|, passage 31, transverse passage 38 and discharge port 31' by operating the handle 40 to move the 'valve plug 39 to open the transverse passage 38. r

The beverage upon entering the tank 8 becomes cooled because of the fact that the casing I contains a quantity of ice, and by drawing the beverage from the bottom of the tank by the tube 4| the beverage is discharged in a settled condition. The amount of beverage which can be cooled in a given period of time entering the tank 8 is limited and therefore when the demand exceeds the capacity of the tank the valve plug 28 is rotated by manual pressure on the handle 30 so that the recess 33 therein provides communication between the supply pipe 32 and the passage 2| which is connected to the coil At this stage the beverage supplied by pipe 32 circulates through the coil before entering the tank 8 through the connection-2|). Circulation of the beverage through the coil results in the beverage entering the tank 8 in cooled condition and therefore the beverage may be drawn from the tank more rapidly than when the tank alone is relied upon for cooling.

it becomes apparent, therefore, that the inven tion provides an auxiliary cooler that increases the cooling, capacity of the apparatus when desired", and which decreases the capacity when desired in order that the beverage is not required to run slowly through the auxiliary cooler in a manner to become chilled, and as a result cloudy and tasteless. 7

With reference to Figs. 4 and 5 there is shown a valve body 22a having a passage 2Ia adapted to be connected to the inletend of a coil such as the coil I1 described above. Another passage 23a.formedin the valve body 22a is adapted to be connected to a cooling tank such as the above described tank 8. Dividing the two passages 2Ia and 23a is'a valve plug 28a having a recess 33a which is adapted to be in constant communication with a source of supply in the manner de- 28 and recess 33. It will be noted that the recess 33a is proportioned and arranged so that it can register with only one of the passages 2 la or 23a at one time and that it may be brought into registration with either one of the passages by rotating it through one hundred and eighty degrees.

Communicating with the passage 23a, and therefore with the tank (such as 8), is an exhaust port 50. A rotatable valve plug ,5Ihas a passage 52 which is adapted to open the; passage 50 to the atmosphere or to close it'ofi' frointh atmosphere in accordance with the rotative positioning of the valve plug 5|. To provide for manual operation of the valve 5| a handle 53 is mounted thereon and a limiting stop 54 is provided on the valve body 22a. A handle 30a. is mounted on the valve plug 28a and a movement limiting stop 55 is provided on the valve body 2211. to be engaged by the handle 3011.

As pointed out; above, itis desir able, upon tapping a new;barrel of beer that the beer be run through the coil prior to enteringthe cooling tank. With the structure described.- above it is impossible to send the beer directly fromthe recess 33a through the passage 23a to the tank because air will be trapped in thetank which at this time will be emptied of beer. Therefore, in order toforce the operator to run the beer through the coil the valve arrangement .is provided which functions as follows. With the valves 28a. and 5| positioned as shown in Fig. 4 the beer leaving, recess 33a fiows through passage 2|u. to the coil and the air is forced from the tank andis exhausted through passage 23a. and exhaust port 5|]. The two handles 53 and 38a, because of the stop members 54 and 55 can only be moved in one direction and in order to movehandle 300 the handle 53 must first be moved out of the way of handle 30a. and when so moved it causes exhaust port 50 to be closed. If the .valve 5| is opened and the recess 33a. later moved into registration with passage 23a the beer will be discharged out the exhaust port because of the head of trapped air in the tank and the operator will immediately observe his error. s 1

The fact that the tank .hasbeen filled with liquid will be indicated by the presence of liquid at the exhaust port 50. i As soon as afiow ofliquid starts at the port 50 the operator moves the valve handle 53 through ninety degrees and thus closes the valve 5 I; Movement of the handle 53 through ninety degrees removes it from. the path ofnmovement of the valve handle 38a and the latter. may be moved, if desired, to rotate the, valve plug 28a so that the recess 33a therein. registers with. .the passage 23a. at which time the liquid will pass dl-. rectly to the tank. v It will be seen; however, upon reference to Fig. 5, that whensthe air is, being exhausted it is necessary to close the valveil by moving the handle53 inorder to. .permit movement of the valve handle 30am Closing of the valve 5| will prevent filling of the cooler,.but,.

after it has once beenfilled as above, described and the valve 5| then closed, the handle 38a. is free to move in either direction.

Although a specific embodiment of the inven-. tion has been illustrated and described it isv to be understood that various changes jmayv be made within the scope of the appended-claims without departing from the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated- What I claim is:--- V 1. In a. beverage dispensingapparatusa cooler, dispensing apparatus connected with said cooler,

an auxiliary cooler having its outlet connected with said first named cooler, means for exhausting trapped air from said first named cooler, and means adapted to be connected to a source of beverage supply and adapted to be operated to selectively supply beverage to either of said coolers, said first named means being inter-related with said second named means whereby the latter must be positioned to supply beverage to said second named cooler when said first named means is positioned to exhaust air from said first named cooler.

2. A liquid cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a tank adapted to be submerged in a refrigerant, means adapted to be connected to a liquid supply source, a coil connected to said tank and to said means and adapted to be submerged in said refrigerant, said coil beind adapted to convey liquid from said means to said tank, a manually controlled by-pass for conveying liquid from said means to said tank to the exclusion of said coil, means for preventing the passage of liquid through said by-pass when said tank is being filled with liquid whereby to compel the passage of liquid through said coil, and means for dispensing liquid from said tank.

3. A liquid cooling and dispensing apparatus comprising a tank adapted to be submerged in a refrigerant, means adapted to be connected to a liquid supply source, a coil connected to said tank and to said means and adapted to be submerged in said refrigerant, said coil being adapted to convey liquid from said means to said tank, a manually controlled by-pass for conveying liquid from said means to said tank to the exclusion of said coil, means for exhausting air from said tank, means for rendering said by-pass inoperative when said air exhausting means is operative, and means for dispensing liquid from said tank.

4. In a dispensing and cooling apparatus, a tank for the reception of liquid, said tank being adapted to be submerged in refrigerant, means connected to said tank and adapted to be connected to a source of liquid supply, means communicating with said tank at a point adjacent to the bottom thereof for dispensing liquid therefrom, means for exhausting air from said tank to permit the same to be filled with liquid to a level higher than the point at which said dispensing means communicates with said tank, an auxiliary cooler interposed between said first named means and said tank, and manual controls for said air exhausting means and said auxiliary cooler for directing the liquid through said auxiliary cooler when said air exhausting means is functioning.

5. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, a twoway valve having means adapted to be connected to a liquid supply source, a cooler, means for dispensing liquid from said cooler, means connecting said cooler with said two-way valve, a valve controlled air exhaust port in said means for connecting said two-way valve with said cooler, an auxiliary cooler, and means connecting said two-way valve with said auxiliary cooler.

6. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, a two- Way valve having means adapted to be connected to a liquid supply source, a cooler, means for dispensing liquid from said cooler, means connecting said cooler with said two-way valve, a valve controlled air exhaust port in said means for connecting said two-way valve with said cooler, an auxiliary cooler, means connecting said two-way valve with said auxiliary cooler, said two-way valve and said air exhaust valve each having a handle, the handle on each valve being related with the operating positions of its respective valve whereby the handle on said air valve extends into the path of movement of the handle on said twoway valve when said air valve is open.

7. In a beverage dispensing apparatus, a twoway valve having means adapted to be connected to a liquid supply source, a tank, means for dispensing liquid from said tank, means connecting one port of said two-way valve to said tank, an air exhaust valve in said connecting means between said tWo-way valve and said tank, and a coil connected at one end to a port of said twoway valve and at its other end to said tank.

JOHN MOHN. 

